Our Calling

Columbia Seminary prepares students for ministry both academically and practically. Students are challenged to think deeply and critically while at the same time actively participating in community and ministry.

Academics

Columbia Seminary prepares students for ministry both academically and practically. Students are challenged to think deeply and critically while at the same time actively participating in community and ministry.

Admissions

Columbia Seminary prepares students for ministry both academically and practically. Students are challenged to think deeply and critically while at the same time actively participating in community and ministry.

Student Life

Columbia Seminary prepares students for ministry both academically and practically. Students are challenged to think deeply and critically while at the same time actively participating in community and ministry.

Network

Columbia Seminary prepares students for ministry both academically and practically. Students are challenged to think deeply and critically while at the same time actively participating in community and ministry.

Lifelong Learning

Columbia Seminary prepares students for ministry both academically and practically. Students are challenged to think deeply and critically while at the same time actively participating in community and ministry.

There’s an APP for that!

Karl Barth said to read the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in the other. Well, these days we do both in one hand, on one device. A smart phone, a tablet, a laptop. One device to connect to the world, to each other, and to the divine.

I am a PCUSA pastor serving a church in San Francisco. For us, our first encounter with Christ is online. Without fail, each visitor who walks into our church found us on Yelp or through Google. One search for “evening worship” or “progressive theology” in San Francisco and there we are: Mission Bay Community Church.

When I left Columbia Theological Seminary to take this call in San Francisco, I knew I was signing up for more education. Faith in San Francisco takes unique shape and so I knew I had much to learn from my congregation. In the last few years, they have taught me the ways of Silicon Valley and stretched me to “catch up with the [tech] times.” In fact, I returned from my sabbatical in September to a few elders who had taken my permission seriously to lead the church and had designed a new church logo, website and app. I smiled, thanked God and thought to myself, “There really is an app for everything.”

These elders knew of eChurch, a software company that offers apps and a modern donation collection service to churches. You provide the content and they design the app. Our app “Mission Bay Community Church” is available through Google Play and at the Apple Store. It’s free and available to anyone for use. It has a Bible, calendar, church stories, sermon podcasts and social media posts. It gives you a way to financially support the ministry of our church. My favorite feature is a prayer wall. Throughout the week, you can post a prayer and know that this church community is holding you in prayer.

The church app is a hub for our community. It serves the real need for us to connect with scripture, with each other and with the divine 24/7. It also allows anyone, anywhere, who has access to a device and ability to open an app, to jump into our community and commune with Christ.

As we explore how technology is playing a role in our congregation, we strive to stay relevant and accessible. If you’re interested in setting up an app for your congregation, eChurch Pushpay has offered a free month of service to anyone who signs up through this link. [https://ppnz.typeform.com/to/hDC3s9?p=pk ] Be sure you mention you heard about them through Mission Bay Community Church!

Interested in exploring technology in the church? The Center for Lifelong Learning has two upcoming classes you may be interested in!

Join us for Thompson Scholars 2016, Can They See Your Church? Evangelism in the Digital Age, which will take place April 26–29, 2016. More information and a link to the application for this program can be found here.

Spirituality in the Smartphone Agewill give participants a theological grounding to navigate the joys and perils of this continually-evolving digital age, and practical wisdom to apply in the context of their ministry settings. February 16-18, 2016. For more information, click here.